Funny that you mentioned tumbleweeds. My sister in law and brother are in
Armenia for 2 years and she is writing her journal via e-mails to everyone
back home. I found the following excerpt interesting about tumbleweeds. I
took out the name of the man she is referring to since this can be seen by
so many.... but I thought you might find it interesting.

Tricia

" I referred, jokingly, to Texas tumbleweeds in a parking lot at one of the
museums we visited. A good friend and one whose knowledge knows no bounds
shared with me the source of the plant which we thought was as native to
Texas as the armadillo. He shared with me that my Texas tumbleweeds are
actually descendents of Russian thistles. Evidently, Ukrainian Mennonite
immigrant farmers brought the weed seed interspersed in flax seed when they
came to the US in 1873. By 1900 the weed had spread from North Dakota,
California, Oklahoma, and Arizona. The weed seeds were spread in
commercial seed, in cattle cars, and of course by the winds. He says, "The
Navajos around Snowflake, Arizona where I was teaching in the late 1950's,
dried it and ground it into a powder to give to people who have the flu. In
the '30's and 40's they gave it to people who got smallpox, until smallpox
was wiped out." Maybe it will be the source of a cure for Bird Flu. Being
the master teacher that he is, I can already imagine his kind response to
this journal edition informing me that armadillo's aren't native to Texas
either.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Johnson Cyndi D Civ 95 CG/SCSRT" <cyndi.johnson@edwards.af.mil>

Oh brrrrrrr. Hope your hubby gets home unfrozen!
It's been pretty cold for these parts too. We had our first really good
frost last weekend and then it let 'er rip. It was 17 degrees Tuesday
night and 15 degrees last night, with 30 mph winds. No rain, although
we've had about 2 feet of falling leaves.
Tell you what, one good thing about creeping suburbanization here is
that there are fewer tumbleweeds. Used to be you'd drive home on a windy
day, dodging 20 or so of the rolling monsters on the road, and then
fight your way through them piled around the house.
Cyndi
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [mailto:owner-gardenchat@hort.net] On
Behalf Of pdickson
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 3:00 PM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: [CHAT] weather conditions
We have had one of the worst days I can remember in a long long time.
It is like a blizzard.... blowing snow and sooo cold. I think the wind
chill is around 5-8 degrees.
My husband just called and told me that he was stuck in a ditch. He and
a guy that works with him were trying to help another guy out of the
ditch and all 3 of their trucks ended up stuck. They had another friend
that they could call that brought a huge 4 wheel drive tractor to pull
all of them out. This is headed to Chicago so I don't know how many of
you that will affect... but get ready. It is suppose to stop here in
the next few hours.
Tricia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pam Evans" <gardenqueen@gmail.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 4:39 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Home again jiggety jig

yeah, here too. sleeted all afternoon. i had to dump a pitcher of

water

on
my car door to get it open to leave work. yippee.
On 11/29/06, Zemuly Sanders <zsanders@midsouth.rr.com> wrote:

We'll probably have the same fun driving to work on Friday. <YECCH>

I

don't
mind snow so much, but nobody can drive on ice.
zem
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna" <gossiper@sbcglobal.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Home again jiggety jig
> Well you left just in time... weather is turning fast here. Been
raining
> all
> day, and tomorrow night we are expecting something- either a

dusting or

a
> foot
> of snow.... either way isn't good as all this wet is going to

freeze-

> should
> be a wonderful Friday morning drive to work.. NOT!
>
> Donna
>
>
> ----- Original
> Message ----
>
>
> I am so glad to be home. Very happy to hear that everyone had a
> good holiday.
> Ours was nice. We fried a 20lb turkey and had one small Ziploc
> bag left. Also
> had the cornbread dressing and all the fixings. This was at my
> Dad and
> Stepmom's house. Got to go for a short motorcycle ride. The weather
> was
> fabulous and extremely unusual for this time of year. But wow am I

glad

to
> be
> home.
> A
> Andrea Hodges
> Beaufort, SC
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------

> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT